LWIA Winner-16-Article-201702030446

The Legal Week Innovation Awards 2017 launch today (3 February) with a call for submissions that highlight innovation and ingenuity within the legal services market.

The awards, which are in their third year, set out to celebrate the contribution made by lawyers and non-fee-earning staff to the success of their businesses, and cover disciplines including BD, finance, IT, project management, operations, PR and recruitment.

Hosted by Legal Week in association with sister title The American Lawyer, the awards will take place on 26 May at The Brewery in the City of London.

Last year's winners included Dentons, Cooley and Wiggin, while Schillings COO and partner Christopher Mills, who was instrumental in reinventing the firm from a defamation boutique to a reputation defence business, received the Outstanding Innovator Award.

Dentons was recognised for the launch of its own technology investment arm NextLaw Labs, while Cooley won plaudits for its online resource centre for entrepreneurs in London, building on the US firm's Silicon Valley experience.

Wiggin (pictured above) was the recipient of the flagship Future of Legal Services Innovation category, for the creation of a technology company to help clients identify online sales of counterfeit goods and take action.

This year's judging panel will include Legal Week editor Georgina Stanley and The American Lawyer's chief global correspondent Chris Johnson, working alongside a panel of experts. Last year's judges included former Simmons & Simmons senior partner Dame Janet Gaymer – now a non-executive member of the House of Commons Commission – and former Bar Council chair Chantal-Aimee Doerries QC.

Click here to view all the categories, criteria and instructions on how to enter.